Small Loaf Wholly Wholewheat Bread

Why do I bake bread? Indeed, why turn the easiest and quickest of meal options into a minimum 3 hour process? I have two answers for this. One is the straightforward health based reason. The more I found out about what goes into industrial bread- preservatives, artificial colours, near-exclusive use of maida/white bleached flour even when it calls itself brown or multi-grain-, the more it became a food of indulgence rather than an everyday option. Even the local bakeries, which are more open about the proportions of maida in their multi-grained, whole-wheat, bran or oat bread ultimately do not offer a bread that which can compare to the Indian homemade roti, whether multi-grained or atta based. Hence began my mission to bake wholewheat bread. But the other reason is as important- the happiness in seeing the risen dough as the yeast gets to work, the browning crust as the bread bakes in the oven and above all, the aroma that wafts from the kitchen and spreads over the rest of the house. That is just therapy, folks and at the end of the session, breakfast for the next day(s) is done!

I started my bread experiments with maida but very soon began to substitute it with wholewheat. Now the Indian atta is not the same as what sells as wholewheat flour in USA and Europe. I believe the grinding process is different making atta coarser, but it is what is easily available here. I hit the solution when I discovered organic atta flour. It rises beautifully and has a nutty flavour (especially enhanced if you add just a bit of honey to the mix) and goes well with all kinds of egg, jams and spreads. Wholewheat bread needs a bit more yeast, liquid and rise time as compared to maida or an atta-maida flour mix.

This particular recipe emerges from my attempt to bake a small loaf for a single person household. The thing to know about bread is that it has core ingredients and beyond them, there are options galore. The core to bread comprises of flour, yeast, water and salt. Yes, that’s it. And of course, time. Not the actual time spent in the kitchen, that is about 15 minutes max. But time spent waiting and being around to check in on the progress. The key ingredient is, I must caution, yeast. You have to get good quality yeast. My early bread experiments were full blown disasters because the most commonly available yeast would just not budge (and I didn’t know that it wasn’t budging 😊). The brand I recommend unhesitatingly is Dr Oetkar, but there are other options around.

I am sharing my go-to recipe. Multiple add-ons are possible- seeds, cheese, herbs, spices, nuts, dry fruits. They are to be added before you start kneading. You can also substitute oil with softened butter or ghee. I am planning to crack an egg into the mixture and make pav/rolls. Will update!

So, to the recipe now.

Ingredients:

Organic Whole-wheat Atta: 200 gms

(Alternatively you can substitute 1/4th of the flour with Maida. Also, you can work with rough measures so 2 measures of your standard cup, assuming the standard is between 75-100 gms)

Yeast: 1.25 teaspoons 

Water: 100 ml and Milk: 100 ml or Water 200 ml

Oil: 2 teaspoons, and 0.5 teaspoon to film the dough.

Honey: 1.5 teaspoons

Salt: 1.25 teaspoons

Method:

1.      Warm the water or milk and water together. The temperature should be such that when you dip your finger in, it can stay comfortably without feeling hot. Remember, it shouldn’t be cold either, then the yeast wont get activated.

2.      While one is still getting a hang of bread baking, it is wise to proof the yeast. For this, warm the water separately, pour on your mixing dish, add the yeast, gently mix, cover and let it stay for ten-fifteen minutes. If you can see the mixture foaming and bubbles forming, your yeast is good to go. Once you get more confident you can skip proofing and go straight to step 3.

3.      In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and mix. Pour over the water or water-milk mixture and knead with a hand-mixer or by hand for about 10 minutes. If you are using a hand mixer, start with the lower speed and gradually increase to the higher one. The dough is done when it is a bit shaggy but can be shaped into a ball.

4.      Shape the dough into a rough ball, film with a bit of oil and then cover the bowl with a cloth or a lid (or both!) and leave it alone for an hour and half at least. Unless it is 40 degrees in the kitchen as during Indian summers, then the bread would be good to go in an hour.

5.      Meanwhile, get the baking tin ready by either covering it with parchment paper or coating it first with oil and then flour.

6.      The dough would have risen to double its size. Now coat your kitchen counter or the marble chakla (we use to roll out rotis) with flour, knead the dough for a few minutes and shape it as per preference. Make sure the edges are tucked in and the surface is tight. Put it into the baking tin,  cover with kitchen paper and let it rise for half an hour. If it is a smaller tin, then the dough will spread out to take its shape. If it is a larger tin then it will expand in the shape you have given it, whether it is a rectangle or a round shape.

7.      15 minutes after leaving the dough for a second rise, preheat your oven at 220 degree Celsius.

8.      After the stipulated half an hour,  if the bread has visibly risen,  then brush the surface with water and make small incisions on it. You can go all artistic with the incisions or make a simple cut in the middle from one end of the loaf to another. 

9.      Lower the oven temperature to 190 degree Celsius, put in the tin and bake for 35-40 minutes.

10.   The bread is done when you hear a hollow sound on tapping its crust. If you want a browner crust, bake a bit more.

11.   Breathe in the smell of fresh baked bread and smile.